The unfulfilled promise of Dhaka’s open-air theatres
Dhaka’s open-air amphitheatres were envisioned as vibrant cultural hubs. Yet they remain caught between neglect, commercialisation and underutilisation, despite their immense civic potential
Broken plaster, scattered trash and the lingering stench of urine greet anyone approaching Suhrawardy Udyan's Mukto Mancha. The stage, once envisioned as the heartbeat of Dhaka's cultural life, now lies mostly abandoned.
Young people, hawkers, beggars and homeless people huddle nearby. The youth's faces are lit by the soft glow of mobile screens, as they share reels while some strum guitars.
"We come here to hang out after classes," said Rezwan Rifat, a student of Dhaka University. "But we can't stay long, especially since a murder took place inside the Udyan area last year. It's also filthy and unsafe as mugging occurs sometimes. No one looks after this place with responsibility. We hardly see any cultural events take place on this stage"
Dhaka's amphitheatres hold symbolic significance. They tell how public space, culture, civic expression, and urban planning intersect. Some are maintained through formal government systems, some through mixed partnerships, and others by social communities.
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"Open-air theatres should be places where you don't just watch a performance — you feel it," said Tariq Anam Khan, renowned Bangladeshi actor and director. "The space has to be quiet, unobstructed, and well-maintained, so every word reaches the audience. In Dhaka, that ideal barely exists. The hum of metro stations, the roar of traffic, and the chaos of the city make intimacy impossible. And even when stages are built, poor upkeep often robs them of their cultural promise before it can blossom.
"These amphitheatres aren't just platforms — they are hubs of civic life, dialogue and community," he continued. "They let people gather, share ideas, and experience culture together. Dhaka needs more of these spaces in neighbourhoods like Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Mirpur, and Uttara. And the ones we already have must be maintained and actively used."
Dhaka is home to several open-air stages, including Suhrawardy Udyan, Hatirjheel Amphitheatre, Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park Amphitheatre and Rabindra Sarobar Amphitheatre in Dhanmondi.
"These spaces were meant for theatre, music, and cultural events," Khan explained, "but large-scale productions are rare, and only small programmes take place."
Some venues have been repurposed commercially. Hatirjheel amphitheatre, hosts big events, while Suhrawardy Udyan under Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy sees limited public programmes. True open-air theatres — accessible and unobstructed — remain scarce.
"Technically, open-air theatres rely on natural acoustics, but in Dhaka, noise pollution and microphones disrupt performances," he added.
Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park amphitheatre
The amphitheatre at Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park, inaugurated in 2020, was conceived as a small-scale cultural and community venue, with seating for roughly 300-400 people beside the park's revitalised lake.
Designed as part of Dhaka North City Corporation's Green Dhaka initiative, the amphitheatre was meant to transform the park into more than a green refuge — a hub for civic life, performances, workshops, and public gatherings.
Spanning about 9.45 acres, the park is a model of careful urban planning: walking and cycling paths wind through green lawns, children's play zones, exercise areas, and a book store and cafe complement the natural spaces, while mature trees have been preserved alongside newly planted ones to maintain biodiversity.
The amphitheatre, strategically located by the water, was intended as a focal point, bridging the natural and social dimensions of the park.
In practice, however, the amphitheatre has seen little formal programming. While the park itself is immaculately maintained, the stage remains largely idle in its intended role. Visitors rarely attend organised events here; instead, the seating is occupied by people resting, chatting, or quietly socialising, turning the amphitheatre into an informal meeting place rather than a performance venue.
"We don't host any commercial programmes, and not much happens here during the year. Only on Pahela Baishakh is there an organised programme. The rest of the time, people love to sit and enjoy the calmness of the park and its beautiful water view," said Md Bashir, manager of Gulshan Society, the current maintainer organisation of the park.
Families, friends and elderly visitors have claimed the stage as a space for leisure, gossip, and casual conversation, giving it a human vibrancy that the original design did not explicitly anticipate.
This hybrid model has ensured the park and the amphitheatre remain spotlessly maintained, yet the programming aspect has not picked up momentum.
The amphitheatre at Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park thus represents a paradox in urban design: a perfectly maintained, visually inviting stage that is underutilised for its intended purpose, yet thriving as a quiet, informal space for social interaction and respite.
Rabindra Sarobar amphitheatre
Rabindra Sarobar, an open-air performance space beside Dhanmondi Lake, has long served as a hub for cultural expression in Dhaka. Unlike Shahabuddin Park, it is not formally named, but for nearly two decades, it has hosted theatre groups, musicians, poets and local artists.
Performances, recitals, and celebrations tied to music, art, and social movements have made the space a central point of Dhaka's cultural memory. The amphitheatre stage was likely constructed in the early 2000s during broader public space upgrades under the city administration, with tiered seating added to accommodate audiences, giving it an informal yet recognisable identity.
The stage now sits within Sector 7 of Dhanmondi Lake, leased by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to private individuals. This sector has five food vans, two large food courts, a parking area for 32 vehicles, and public toilets.
While the lessee is formally responsible for maintaining the amphitheatre — including seating, trash clearance, and basic infrastructure — the reality is inconsistent. Heavy rains often flood the stage and adjacent walkways, leaving water and debris for hours. Temporary performance setups are brought in for events, while seating and other facilities are repaired only after visible damage. Grass trimming, cleaning and general maintenance occur irregularly, often handled by staff rather than the lessee themselves.
"Open-air theatres should be places where you don't just watch a performance — you feel it. The space has to be quiet, unobstructed and well-maintained, so every word reaches the audience. In Dhaka, that ideal barely exists. The hum of metro stations, the roar of traffic, and the chaos of the city make intimacy impossible. And even when stages are built, poor upkeep often robs them of their cultural promise before it can blossom."
Commercialisation has reshaped both the physical and social environment of the amphitheatre. Areas originally intended for recreational or cultural use are now dominated by restaurants and food courts.
Where only 3% of the lake area was once allocated for small kiosks, today 12–15% is commercial, with large food outlets replacing small cafés and open spaces. Residents and performers describe the amphitheatre as culturally active but noisy and chaotic, with parked vehicles and generator hums forming a constant backdrop.
Despite these pressures, Rabindra Sarobar continues to host performances, sustaining its role as a cultural space. Yet the intrusion of commercial interests, inconsistent maintenance, and infrastructure issues like flooding underscore the precariousness of the venue.
"I have been living in Dhanmondi 32 area since my childhood," said Azizur Latif, a local resident who walks there almost every day. "The place wasn't as commercial as it is today. There are too many leased restaurants now, which most of the time remain empty. They are just taking up space in what used to be a beautiful green area."
"The amphitheatre was also not well maintained," he added. "During heavy rains, the whole area gets flooded for hours. The authorities recently built cemented railings to protect the water — let's see how that holds. Many programmes take place here, but I don't find any of them meaningful; they feel purely commercial."
Suhrawardy Udyan Mukto Mancha
The Mukto Mancha, the most famous in Dhaka, sits at the southwestern edge of Suhrawardy Udyan, adjacent to the Bangla Academy. Built in 2000 as part of the Independence Monument project, it was formally inaugurated for cultural use on 7 March 2011, hosting the first organised event, the 'Mahanagar Pathnatak Utsav', a week-long celebration of street theatre.
Over the years, it has welcomed pathnatak, jatra-pala, film screenings, and major festivals including the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, as well as national events like Independence and Victory Day celebrations. As Dhaka's largest open-air theatre, it was meant to be a hub where ordinary citizens could experience art, dialogue and history all at once.
Reports indicate that the space has become a hideout for drug users, homeless people, and informal encroachers, with security almost nonexistent after dark. Even during the day, students of the area find large portions of the stage off-limits, leaving the cultural potential of the Mukto Mancha largely untapped.
The responsibility for maintenance has shifted over time — from the Public Works Department to the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy — but the gaps remain. Efforts are largely limited to occasional events such as book fairs or festivals, leaving the rest of the year to decay and neglect.
"Mukto Mancha is one of Dhaka's most significant cultural spaces, and there are very few venues like it in the city," said Rezauddin Ahmed Stalin, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, to The Business Standard. "We plan to curate regular programs here, strengthen the infrastructure where needed, and ensure the stage comes alive throughout the year. After this year's book fair, we'll host performances like jatra-pala and open-air theatre regularly, making it a true cultural hub for the city.
"Security is our top priority," he added. "During any event we work closely with law enforcement and maintain our own personnel to safeguard the space. We also seek government budgets to keep the stage in top condition, because without it, neglect can lead to littering or misuse. Our aim is to make Mukto Mancha a safe, vibrant venue where art and community can flourish all year round."
Hatirjheel amphitheatre
The Hatirjheel amphitheatre, inaugurated on 13 April 2017, stands as one of Dhaka's most ambitious urban recreational projects. Built over the waters of Hatirjheel Lake, it forms part of the expanded Hatirjheel redevelopment project, which initially opened in 2013.
Designed to host around 2,000 visitors, the amphitheatre features a circular arrangement of seats, inspired by a flower with petals, creating a visual effect reminiscent of a floating stage. Adjacent to it, the grand musical dancing fountain stretches over 120 metres, with colour-coordinated lights synchronised to music, adding a dynamic, tridimensional spectacle for visitors.
The project was implemented by the Bangladesh Army's Special Works Organisation (SWO-West) in collaboration with the Housing and Public Works Ministry, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, and Dhaka WASA, reflecting a coordinated effort between military and civil authorities to transform the Hatirjheel area into a hub of leisure and urban renewal.
The amphitheatre and fountain are surrounded by walkways, viewing decks, bridges, and landscaped areas, offering both a scenic and functional urban space.
While the amphitheatre's design and the fountain's spectacle are widely admired, its maintenance pattern is selective. The area is meticulously cared for during commercial events, large-scale performances, and public programmes, ensuring that the infrastructure functions flawlessly for high-profile occasions.
On ordinary days, however, visitors may notice areas of the lakefront and walkways that receive less consistent upkeep, reflecting the practical challenges of maintaining such a large and complex public space.
Despite this, the Hatirjheel amphitheatre continues to attract locals and tourists alike, offering an opportunity to experience Dhaka from a unique perspective. The lake, stretching across a vast part of the city, combined with the fountain's lights and music, creates a momentary escape from the metropolis's usual bustle.
